A Lesson To Learn
by miss.salvatore1995
Summary: After Valentine's defeat Clary starts her training to become a Shadowhunter. After months of vigorous training, Clary believes that she is ready to fight demons with Jace and the others; however, Jace disagrees in concern for her safety. A romantic, action packed two-shot of Jace and Clary's life after City of Glass.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Mortal Instruments!**

**Clary's POV**

"Again Clary!" Jace shouted as I fell down on the mat for what had to have been the thousandth time that day. I groaned as I got back up to my feet. I could feel my muscles aching from working so hard, and I longed for a nice hot shower, but unfortunately my drill sergeant/boyfriend wouldn't allow me to.

It had been about three months since Valentine had been defeated and we left Idris. After everything had settled down, the Lightwoods, Simon, Luke, my mom, Jocelyn, and I had all returned to New York. Mom had moved in with Luke, while I moved into the Institute to begin my Shadowhunter training. It had been a very long three months filled with pain and sweat, but I was proud to say that I had greatly improved. I had surprisingly surpassed Alec and Izzy and was now reaching Jace's level. It must have been the angel blood inside of me that allowed me to learn so quickly. That would also explain Jace's talent for hunting and killing.

Jace, I thought, sighing to myself. After we had found out that we weren't related, we immediately came out into the open about our feelings for each other and became a couple. We had suspected some resistance toward our relationship, but surprisingly everyone accepted it really well, with Luke claiming that he had always known. Jocelyn had resisted at first, but soon learned to accept it.

Everything had been perfect since Valentine fell and I couldn't be happier. My mom was alright, I was finally becoming a Shadowhunter, and Jace was my boyfriend. Life couldn't get any better, or it could get better if Jace would just let me take a break and shower.

"Please Jace," I whined after he had pinned me down once again. "We have been going at this for hours. Can we please just call it a day so that I can shower?"

Jace regarded me coolly with his stunning golden eyes. He absently pushed a golden lock of hair out of his face and smiled at me. My heart rate picked up and I couldn't help but thinking that this beautiful creature was finally mine. All mine.

"I'll tell you what," Jace said, a secretive smile gracing his lips. "If you beat me, then we'll be done."

I threw my hands up into the air. "But I'll never beat you!" I shouted.

He grinned that cocky smile of his, the one that made me want to kiss him and slap him all at the same time. "Exactly," he said.

Glaring at him, I stood up and got into position, determined to show him that I could, in fact, beat him and that he wasn't this invincible god that he seemed to think he was.

Jace smirked and stood across from me. "Whenever you're ready."

My eyes narrowed as I regarded Jace, who was standing across from me in a defensive position. I took a deep breath and charged at him, completely focused on the fight. I had just as much angel blood in my system as he did. If there was anyone that could beat him, it was me. Plus, I had an advantage as his girlfriend. If the fight started to take a turn for the worse, I could easily use some of my charms to distract him.

I smiled briefly as I continued running forward. I threw a punch toward his face, but Jace neatly dodged the attack, making it look effortless. I was sure that if I was the one doing that move, I would look like some distressed otter or something. It amazed and aggravated me that Jace was perfect at everything he tried. It just wasn't fair.

Jace smirked at me as I glared. "C'mon, Clary, you can do better than that," he taunted.

I whipped my foot out toward him, hoping to bring him down, but it had the opposite effect. Jace grabbed my leg and brought me down to the ground. But before he could pin me down, I rolled over and jumped up. Surprise flickered in Jace's tawny eyes before he refocused on the fight, bringing his fist down toward my face. I dodged quickly and brought my arm out to punch him in the stomach.

Jace dodged before advancing toward me. He kept kicking and punching, but somehow I managed to evade all of his attacks. I was surprised that I was doing so well. Usually Jace would have won the fight by now. Jace knew this too and his attacks came faster as he tried to bring me down.

Finally I grew tired of remaining on the defensive and I did a move that Jace had taught me a while ago and one that I had seen him use many times before. I faked to the right and then quick as a snake, I changed direction and landed a blow to his chest, surprising him and sending him to the ground while I followed, falling on top of him.

"I win," I said, smiling hugely. I actually beat Jace. Wow. That was a first. It had been a very long time since anyone had beaten him, which had only caused his already too big head to grow twice the size it already was, so I wasn't planning on letting him forget this for a very long time.

Jace stared up at me in surprise and with a little bit of pride on his face. "Good job, Clary. You did excellent, but I must tell you that I was going easy on you."

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. "You're impossible," I sighed. "You just don't want to admit that I beat you." I tried to get up, but Jace pulled me back down, pulling my body as close to his as possible.

"That may be Clary," Jace whispered, his breath surrounding me, causing my breath to hitch. "But I do know something that I am the best at."

"What's that?" I breathed out shakily, my breath coming out in gasps. Damn him for doing this to me.

"This," Jace whispered before crashing his mouth to mine and circling his arms around my waist, while my hands automatically went to his hair, pulling him close to me. We just laid there, kissing, until we heard a throat clear behind us. Jace and I shot apart, looking up to see Alec in the doorway with an amused and slightly disgusted expression on his face.

"You're lucky mom wasn't the one to catch you," Alec said, crossing his arms. "You're supposed to be training, not making out."

"We were training," I protested. "We were just finishing up."

Alec shook his head but didn't comment on what I had said. Instead he said. "Mom wants to speak to both of you in the library right now; she said it was important."

Jace sighed before standing up and pulling me along with him. "Okay, we're on our way."

Alec turned to leave, but then stuck his head back in, looking at me. "Oh, and Clary, congratulations on beating Jace, it's about time someone did. His head was getting far too big," Alec said, grinning and turning to face Jace as he said that last part.

Jace's mouth popped open as he regarded his half brother in surprise. "How did you know about that?" He demanded.

"I was here when she pinned you down. Very impressive, Clary. You have greatly improved. You're a very quick learner."

I blushed at his compliments. "Thank you Alec, but I couldn't have done it without all of you. You're all amazing teachers."

"Some better than others," Jace said smugly, having regained his cocky attitude. "I'm sure that I am Clary's favorite teacher, right Clary?"

Alec laughed out loud before I could answer. "You probably are," he said, still chuckling. "Especially considering all of the extra benefits that you give her."

Jace grinned at Alec lazily. "Hey, it benefits me too, so it's a win-win situation."

Rolling his eyes, Alec walked out, calling over his shoulder, "Remember, mom wants to talk to you in the library. Don't be late."

"Win-win situation?" I asked Jace incredulously, smacking him on the arm.

"What?" He asked, feigning innocence. "It is. Don't tell me that you don't enjoy kissing me," Jace said, placing a hand over his heart and faking hurt.

"I don't," I said, quickly turning away so he wouldn't be able to see my face. That was such a lie and we both knew it.

"Oh really?" He asked, stepping closer to me and wrapping his arms around me, immediately enveloping me in his scent of soap and sweat.

I nodded, unable to form coherent words. He brought his face down closer to mine, his lips an inch away from mine. I couldn't resist anymore, I leaned forward, brushing my lips against his, only for him to suddenly pull away.

My eyes flew open to see a big grin on his face and amusement sparking in his tawny eyes. "Nah ah," he tsked, humor filling his voice. "You said that you didn't like my kissing, so I wouldn't want to make you do something you don't want to do."

I glowered at him. "Just kiss me Jace."

"Only if you admit that I am an _amazing _kisser," he said, his grin widening.

I groaned. The things that he did to me. I'm not sure he knew the effect he had on me, or maybe he did and he was just torturing me. "_Fine. _You're an amazing kisser, Jace. Now just kiss me already."

He smirked before finally lowering his mouth onto mine and kissing me deeply, leaving me dizzy. I knotted my fingers in his hair and pulled on it lightly, causing him to groan. I smiled victoriously, pleased with myself that I could bring that kind of reaction out of him.

I quickly pulled away and walked out of his grip. "C'mon, we're going to be late to see Maryse."

Jace groaned again, this time in frustration and disappointment. _"_You're one evil woman."

I smiled and turned around. "You coming?"

Jace bounded over to me, kissing me lightly one last time before grabbing my hand and leading me toward the library.

When we entered the library, we saw Maryse sitting at Hodge's old desk, waiting for us. "There you two are. Take a seat," she said, gesturing to the couch that was across from her desk.

Jace and I sat down obediently and turned expectantly to Maryse.

Maryse cleared her throat before speaking. "As you both know, Clary has been training for a while now and she has made excellent progress. I believe that she is ready to go out hunting tonight with you three."

My face lit up as I heard what Maryse said. I was finally going to become a Shadowhunter. After all of this time all of my hard work was finally going to pay off.

I turned to Jace with a big grin on my face, but what I saw surprised me. I had expected Jace to be happy and excited for me, but instead he look angry as he gazed at Maryse.

"Are you crazy?" Jace demanded.

"No, Jace, I am not," Maryse replied drily. "Why are you so upset? I would have thought that you would be proud of Clary for learning so quickly."

"I am proud of Clary," Jace said stiffly. "I just don't think she's ready to go hunting with us. She still has a lot to learn."

I stood up and glared at Jace. How could he think that I wasn't ready? I had just beaten him, Jace, who thought that he was the master of all things, especially at fighting.

Jace shrank back a little under my gaze, but otherwise didn't move. "I have been training just about every day for three months," I said angrily. "I have learned a lot and I have gotten a lot better. I have beaten Alec and Izzy a handful of times and I have even beaten you once, so don't tell me that I'm not ready, because I am."

After I finished my little rant, Jace stood up from his position on the couch and grabbed my hand, but I quickly pulled it away.

"Clary, please."

"No, Jace. You still see me as a weak mundane, and I am tired of it. I am a Shadowhunter just like you and I wish that you would start treating me as one."

Jace looked pained, but I ignored him and stomped out of the room angrily. He had been treating me like a fragile little doll ever since we returned from Idris. It hurt to think that he still saw me as weak. I was just as strong as him now. I was a Shadowhunter and he had to accept that fact.

I was about halfway to my room when suddenly an arm snaked around my waist, pulling me into them. I struggled to free myself but Jace just held on tighter.

I finally gave up, knowing it was useless. When I finally became limp in his arms, Jace said, "I'm sorry Clary. I'm so sorry. I know that you're more than capable of slaying demons; it's just that I worry so much about losing you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I don't know what I'd do without you."

My expression softened slightly at hearing his confession. Jace, who must have taken this as an encouragement, continued on. "I love you so much, Clary. You have no idea how much it scares me to picture you fighting demons. You could get hurt Clary, or worse. You have no idea how much that idea haunts me."

"Yes, I do, Jace. I experience that every single time you go out hunting," I said, remembering all those lonely hours full of fear. "I would stay up for hours, pacing around my room, worrying about you, wondering if you'd even come back home to me."

Jace gently pulled me against his chest and I inhaled his scent, allowing it to calm me down. "Nothing is going to happen to me, Clary, I promise."

I pulled away and looked him in the eye. "And nothing will happen to me either."

Jace groaned and closed his eyes. I watched him and I could practically see the gears turning in that big head of his.

"Okay," he said, opening his eyes. "Here's the deal. You can go with us, but only to observe. And if there's any danger, you stay out of it and make yourself well hidden, and do not come out no matter what. Do you understand?"

My eyes narrowed as I gazed at Jace, not liking this plan at all. If Jace, Alec, or Izzy were in any kind of danger, of course I was going to do something. I wasn't just going to sit there and let them die, but Jace didn't have to know that.

"Fine," I finally said, hoping Jace wouldn't see through my lie. "I'll stay out of trouble."

Jace scrutinized my face for a second before kissing me on my forehead lightly and saying, "We leave in an hour, so start getting ready," before walking down the hall and turning a corner, disappearing from sight.

I was just about to go to my room to dig through my closet to find something to wear, when a hand grabbed my arm. I whipped around and saw Izzy standing there with a huge grin on her face. "Mom said that you were coming with us, so let's go get you ready."

I groaned but allowed Izzy to pull me toward her room. Once we got there, she pointed toward the bathroom. "Shower. Now. You smell horrible," she said, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

I rolled my eyes, but complied. I felt gross and sweaty and I couldn't wait to feel the nice, warm water on me. Only a few of the rooms in the Institute had a bathroom, and Izzy luckily had one. She probably had the best room in the entire building. Her bathroom was almost as big as her room, and was just as messy. Whereas her room was buried in clothes, her bathroom was covered in beauty products such as tons of hair products and makeup.

I stepped into the shower and reveled in the hot water and how good it felt against my sweaty and beaten body. I stayed in there longer than usual, and by the time I shut the water off, Izzy was banging against the door and yelling at me to hurry up.

"I'm coming!" I yelled, quickly wrapping a towel around my body and preparing myself for the torture that was coming. I always hated it when Isabelle dressed me. She usually put me in something way too short and revealing.

I sat down in a chair and Izzy came over to me with a huge makeup bag in her hands. I tried to keep the grimace off my face, but failed miserably. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I just had to deal with it. In about half an hour it would all be over. I relaxed and let Izzy get to work on my makeup and hair.

"No, Izzy. I am not wearing that," I said, crossing my arms over my chest and staring at the offending item in Isabelle's hands.

"Come on Clary, it's gorgeous. You'll have all the boys drooling if you wear this dress."

"Dress?" I shrieked. "That's not a dress; it's a scrap of fabric!"

Isabelle frowned at me.

"Besides, I have a boyfriend already. I don't need to impress any boys."

"C'mon Clary. Jace will _love _you in this dress," Isabelle pointed out.

"He already loves me."

Izzy rolled her eyes. "Yes, I am well aware of that. Especially considering how many times I have walked in on you and lover boy making out."

I blushed, but refused to back down. The dress was red, black, and lacy, and barely covered my butt. Not to mention it was low cut. This "dress" just screamed slut.

I voiced my thoughts to Isabelle and she shook her head at me. "Clary, you could never look like a slut. This dress will just make you look hotter. Please, Clary, please, please, please, _please!"_

"Fine!" I yelled. "I'll wear the damn dress."

Isabelle squealed and handed it to me. "Thank you Clary. Trust me, you won't regret it."

I grumbled to myself as I made my way into the bathroom to change into the stupid dress. I slipped it on and stared at myself in the mirror. My mouth dropped open as I gazed at myself.

The person in the mirror had fiery red curls cascading down her back and big, bright green eyes and full pink lips. The dress wasn't as bad as I thought, but I still wouldn't have worn it if I had had a choice. It gave me curves that I never knew I had and it made my legs look longer. I looked gorgeous, I thought to myself as I gazed in the mirror.

Isabelle knocked on the door. "Clary? Are you ready? We have to go now. The boys are waiting."

I stepped out the door, glancing at myself in the mirror one last time before opening the door and stepping into the room.

Izzy whistled. "I was right. That dress does looks amazing on you."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks Iz. You look gorgeous too."

She smiled at me and twirled around in her blood red dress that was similar to mine. She held out her arm. "Shall we?"

I took out her outstretched arm. "We shall."

On our way to meet Jace and Alec we stopped at the weapons room and grabbed as many weapons as we could. Once we finished with that, we made our way to the entrance where we were supposed to meet the boys. When we rounded the corner, I saw Jace lazily leaning against a wall and carefully examining his fingernails while Alec played with his phone, most likely texting Magnus, his boyfriend and warlock.

Jace heard us coming and looked up. His mouth dropped open at the sight of me. He looked me up and down slowly, taking in every single detail. I blushed under his intense gaze, which caused his eyes to darken.

He slowly walked over to me and gently put an arm around my waist. "You look absolutely beautiful," he whispered in my ear before bringing his lips down to mine and kissing me hungrily. I responded with the same intensity, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing myself closer to him until I heard a cough.

I pulled away blushing, remembering that we weren't alone. Jace, on the other hand was grinning. "C'mon guys, let's go," he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me out the door, toward Pandemonium.

**Author's Note:**

**I hope you liked it! Please REVIEW and tell me what you think. I would also appreciate to hear things that I could improve on and any suggestions that you have. Thank you! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments! **

We walked in silence toward Pandemonium, enjoying each other's company. I could tell that Jace was still uneasy with the idea of me hunting with all of them tonight, even though I wasn't actually going to be doing any of the fighting. If he had his way, I would be back at the Institute, where I would be safe from any harm, but what Jace didn't understand was that keeping me locked away from the world was not going to help me. I needed to get out there and start learning from experience, not by sitting at a desk and reading a book on fighting techniques. Because, honestly, when the moment came and you were faced with a bloodthirsty demon set on killing you, there was no way that you were going to remember a whole bunch of fighting techniques that had been listed in a stupid book. At the end of the day, your skill and experience was what mattered.

Hopefully tonight I would be able to prove to myself and to Jace that I was capable of fighting demons and that I was just as good as the others. I may not have been doing this for as long as they had, but I was a quick learner and I truly believed that I was more than capable of fighting demons.

A few minutes later, we finally arrived at Pandemonium. I looked up at the building and couldn't help but notice that it was exactly the same as the last time that I had been here, before I knew about Shadowhunters and their secret world. Pandemonium hadn't changed, but I sure had. I knew I wasn't the same weak, defenseless girl that I had been the last time I had entered this building.

Once we were all inside, I scanned the room, looking for any signs of something out of the ordinary, but finding none. I looked over at Jace and noticed that he was doing the same thing. Once he was satisfied that there was no danger, he turned back to face me and I could see the relief in his eyes. He was glad that there were no demons here tonight. I couldn't keep the frown off of my face at this unfortunate turn of events. Jace saw this and kissed my forehead. "Next time, Clary."

I snorted quietly to myself. If there was a next time. I was sure that Jace would use the extra time to think up a few excuses as to why I should stay home.

Unlike me, Isabelle was excited at the prospect of a night off. "Yes!" She exclaimed over the deafening music. "We can finally relax and enjoy ourselves. I don't think I have ever been here to have fun. We are always hunting when we come here. It's tiring really."

Jace sighed. "Don't you have somewhere to be, Izzy?"

She huffed and walked away, muttering. "Alright, I'll leave. I can take a hint."

"You didn't have to be rude," I pointed out, watching Isabelle walk away and slink off toward the bar where a group of guys were watching her hungrily. I almost felt bad for that group. If one of them so much as made one move toward Izzy, she would pull out her whip in a flash and teach them all a lesson. She had told me a story once about how she had had to take control of a situation where a mundane was getting a bit too rough with her. She never told me what had exactly happened to the man, but I'm pretty sure he learned his lesson. Izzy looks innocent on the outside, but what people don't know is that she is a deadly Shadowhunter, who is capable of killing them in the blink of an eye without even breaking a sweat.

Jace slipped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him. "Izzy will get over it. She isn't the type to dwell on things."

I looked up at him while he gazed back at me with an innocent expression on his face. I almost snorted. Jace was anything but innocent. He was a lot of things, smart, sexy, sarcastic, and deadly being a few of them, but innocent he was not.

"Forget about Isabelle for two seconds and let's have some fun," Jace said, a pleading note in his voice. "We haven't been out and done something normal in ages. And now we finally have a chance, and all you want to do is sit here and lecture me about Izzy. Is that really how you want to spend this evening? Because I have a few suggestions," he said, wriggling his eyebrows with that signature smirk of his plastered across his gorgeous face.

I felt an involuntary smile creeping onto my face and I fought to keep it off without much success. "Oh can you?" I asked, smiling mischievously up at him, bringing my face closer to his so that my lips were only a few inches from his, teasing him.

He licked his lips, a hungry look coming into his eyes. "Yeah," he said, gazing down at me, a fire igniting in his eyes as all of his ideas flashed through his mind.

I leaned forward and skimmed my nose along his jaw. His breath hitched as I pulled myself closer to him. "You know I would," I murmured. "But you've told me a million times not to lose focus while hunting for demons and I'm afraid your suggestions might distract us from what we're supposed to be doing," I said, pulling away from him and going over to the bar to join Izzy. Once I finally reached her, I looked over my shoulder and saw Jace standing in the exact same place where I had left him, with a look of disbelief on his face. I chuckled lightly and Izzy followed my gaze and laughed out loud. "Oh, Clary. What did you do to the poor boy? He looks like he just lost his puppy."

I laughed at Isabelle's choice of words, but before I had the chance to respond, Jace came over to us, frowning at me. "That wasn't nice, Clary," he pouted.

"Who said that I was nice?" I questioned, grinning up at him.

He frowned again and was about to retort when Alec came bounding up to us. "Demon," he hissed quietly so that only we could hear what he was saying. "Right corner by the bathrooms."

Jace immediately snapped to attention and looked over in the direction that Alec had instructed. I looked over and saw a boy with green hair. At first glance he looked like an ordinary boy, but once I concentrated, I was able to see him for what he truly was. A demon. He had green slits for eyes and sharp teeth that were also a sickly green color. I wrinkled my nose in disgust and turned back to the others, waiting to find out how we were going to go about this.

Jace was all business as he turned back to face us. I thought that he had been serious before when he was scanning the club for demons, but that was nothing compared to what he looked like now. His gaze flickered to me in concern for a brief moment before returning to the others. "Isabelle? Do you think you can lure him out into the alley in the back?"

Isabelle nodded, smiling wickedly. "It would be my pleasure," she stated, flicking her hair over her shoulder as she eyed the demon, sizing him up as she searched for any of his strengths or weaknesses that could be useful for her.

"Good," Jace said, nodding. "Alec and I will be waiting out there to help you if anything goes wrong," he instructed the two Lightwoods before turning to face me. "And Clary, you are to stay here no matter what and stay out of harm's way. Do you understand me?" He demanded, his eyes boring into mine.

I stared back at him defiantly. "Why can't I help?" I asked. "I've learned so much and I have become a pretty good Shadowhunter. Maryse believed that I could do it, why can't you?"

Jace clenched his jaw and tightened his fists at his side. "You're not ready yet, Clary."

"Not ready?" I exclaimed in frustration. "In your eyes I'll never be ready. You can't protect me forever Jace."

Before Jace could respond to my accusations, Alec spoke up. "She's right, Jace. She's gotten really good and I believe that she is ready to fight demons. She's been working so hard, she deserves this. She's beaten Izzy and I multiple times and she's even beaten you once. She's ready, Jace."

Isabelle's eyes widened as she heard what Alec had said. "You beat Jace, Clary?" She asked in surprise. I nodded and her eyes grew even wider. "Whoa. I haven't even been able to do that."

Jace clenched his fists and ignored what his adopted siblings had to say. Instead, he addressed me. "Clary, you are to stay here and that is final. Do you understand?"

I glared at him harshly before nodding and turning away from him without another word, making my way over to the bar. I couldn't believe that he was still treating me like a little five year old who needed to be sent away while the adults talked. If I wanted to be treated like a child, I would have given up the whole Shadowhunter world and lived with my mom and Luke.

I glared down at the table, angry that I was stuck here while the others fought off demons, angry that I was being treated like a five year old, and most of all angry with Jace for treating me like this. He was supposed to be my boyfriend, not my father. What right did he have to treat me like this? None whatsoever, that's what.

I stood up, determined, and stalked over to where the others had gone. I pulled out my stele and drew a rune on the wall that enabled me to see what was going on in the alley. I saw the others finishing off the green haired demon. I sighed in relief when I saw that they were all alright. I heard a noise to my left and I widened the window that I had created so that I could see what caused the noise. I gasped as I saw five more demons walk into view, ready to attack my friends. They were outnumbered by two. I gritted my teeth. If only Jace had let me participate in the fight, we wouldn't be so outnumbered.

I watched as Jace, Alec, and Isabelle grabbed their weapons and rushed towards the demons without hesitating. I held my breath as the fight commenced. Isabelle and Alec were each fighting one demon while Jace was fighting the other three. I reached my hand out, touching the hilt of my seraph blade so that I could rush out there in case anything went wrong. I didn't care what Jace had to say. If any one of them was in danger, I was going to go out there and help them.

I continued to watch them fight off the demons and so far everything was going good. That is until I saw something that I never expected to happen. One of the demons that Jace was fighting lunged towards him, catching him off guard, and while Jace tried to dodge the attack, he faltered and the demon smacked him to the ground while they surrounded him.

Horror washed through me as I watched these events unfold. I didn't think, I just acted. I grabbed my seraph blade and charged out there as fast as I could. I threw myself in front of Jace and stabbed the demon that was closest to me. Black goo squirted out from the demon and sprayed out onto my feet. The demon dropped to the ground and I focused all of my attention on the other two, my body still positioned protectively in front of Jace.

One of the demons charged at me and I kicked him away, sending him flying into the other demon. I charged again and dodged attack after attack. The demons kept punching and kicking me, but I managed to dodge all of their attacks. Finally, I found an opening and sliced my blade at one of the demons, cutting off his head. He dropped to the floor and only one more demon remained. As I looked at the last demon I noticed that it was the one who had knocked Jace down and my eyes narrowed. He was going to pay for that.

The demon charged at me and I neatly dodged the attack, jumping to the side. The demon growled and I smiled. He charged again and I swung my seraph blade out, cutting his hand off. The demon hissed in pain and glared at me. "You will pay for that, young Shadowhunter."

I said nothing in return. I continued to dodge the demon's attacks. I was doing really well until the demon managed to use his remaining hand to scrape his claws across my arm. I clenched my teeth to hold in my scream. I couldn't show any weakness, I reminded myself. I pushed the pain away and advanced toward the demon, my seraph blade striking out at the demon over and over again until I finally made contact. My blade went through the demons heart and he shriveled to the ground before disappearing into nothingness.

I smiled in satisfaction as I realized that I had single handedly killed three demons. Alec and Isabelle, who had disposed of their own demons, came over to congratulate me. "That was amazing Clary!" Isabelle exclaimed, hugging me. "You were fantastic."

Alec also gave me a hug. "Good job, Clary. I'm really proud of you. You did an incredible job."

I smiled at the two Lightwood siblings. "Thank you so much guys, I appreciate it."

"Clary," a voice said from behind me. I turned around grinning, positive that Jace would be proud of me and finally be convinced that I could handle myself in a fight. I continued grinning until I saw the expression on Jace's face. He looked absolutely furious. He glared at me. "_What were you thinking?" _He demanded furiously.

I gaped at him in astonishment, unable to answer. I had never seen him so angry before. My eyes started to water as he regarded me. I had never seen him look at me like that before and I never wanted to see that look on his face again.

"What were you thinking Clary?" He asked again. "You could have gotten yourself killed!" He yelled at me, his eyes still full of anger. "Did you even think about that?" He demanded. "You can't just jump into a fight whenever you feel like it. You're not ready Clary, you could get killed. And didn't I tell you to stay inside and away from the danger?" He shouted. "Honestly Clary, do you ever listen?" He demanded, breathing heavily from yelling at me.

Instead of yelling back at him, I looked him in the eye, showing him all of the anger and hurt that his words had caused me. Jace flinched slightly before glaring back at me once again.

I threw my seraph blade down by his feet and turned to walk away. "Where do you think you're going?" Jace ordered. "Get back over here, Clary, it's too dangerous for you to be out there alone."

At those words something in me snapped. I was tired of him treating me like this. He was acting like an overprotective, controlling father and I was fed up with it. Nothing had happened to me, I was absolutely fine. He had not right to yell at me.

I lost control of myself as I recalled all of the things that Jace had yelled at me and I grabbed a dagger from my belt and spun around, launching it toward Jace. He ducked just in time, and his eyes widened in disbelief as he watched me. He couldn't believe that I had actually thrown a knife at him. A few tears escaped from my eyes as I looked at Jace. I didn't even bother wiping them away. I just turned around and ran away into the night as fast as I could.

**JPOV**

I watched in shock as Clary ran away from me. "Did she really just throw a knife at me?" I asked Alec and Isabelle incredulously.

They looked just as shocked as I was. "I think so," Alec answered in disbelief.

I ran through exactly what I had said to Clary in my head and I sunk to the ground with my head in my hands. "What have I done?" I asked miserably, remembering the look that Clary had given me before running away. There had been so much pain and anguish in her eyes and it was my entire fault. I had caused that pain. Me, who swore that I would never hurt her. I groaned. Clary was never going to forgive me for what I did.

Isabelle sat down next to me. "You possibly just ruined your relationship, that's what," Isabelle stated matter of factly in response to my question. I didn't even bother to tell Izzy that it had been a rhetorical question and I hadn't wanted an answer. I knew she would just ignore me anyway.

I groaned again and felt like I was going to be sick. I was a complete and total idiot. I had let my concern for Clary go too far and I had ended up hurting her.

"Isabelle," Alec said, scolding his sister.

"No, she's right," I said miserably. "What was I thinking? How could I ever treat Clary that way?"

Alec sat down next to me. "I don't know Jace."

"That was out of line, Jace," Isabelle said. "She was only trying to help and you just went off on her. Clary did not deserve that at all. Did you see her face? You destroyed her. Are you trying to push her away, because that's all you're doing. Do you want to lose her?"

"Of course not!" I exclaimed. Clary is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I love her more than anything in the world."

"Well, you have to show her that, Jace," Isabelle said gently yet forcefully. "Because if you keep pushing her away like this and treating her like a five year old, you are going to lose her. You have to treat her like your equal Jace. You saw her fight tonight; you saw how good she was and how well she handled herself. She's ready."

I smiled slightly. "Yeah, she was incredible," I said, thinking back to Clary's fight. She had dodged every attack perfectly. She fought the demons neatly and efficiently and she had taken care of them quickly. She fought like a true Shadowhunter and I was proud of her.

"Go talk to her," Isabelle urged, pulling me up. "And go get your woman back."

I smiled at them. "Thank you, both of you," I said before turning around and taking off toward the institute as fast as my legs could carry me.

**CPOV**

I ran away from that alley as fast as I could, tears pouring down my face. When I finally reached the Institute, I raced up the stairs, straight to the rooftop. I sat down, curling into a ball and crying, the tears pouring down my face as I thought about what Jace had said to me. I couldn't believe that Jace could be so harsh, especially to me, but I had seen the truth in his eyes as he glared at me. He had meant everything he had said.

A sob wracked thought my body and I sat there, curled up into a small ball until I was finally able to regain my composure. I sat up and gazed at the city. I continued to look out into the distance, refusing to let myself think about Jace until the door opened and somebody stepped onto the rooftop. I didn't even need to turn around. I already knew who it was. I would recognize that scent anywhere. Jace.

"Clary," he whispered brokenly. I bit my lip and refused to turn around to face him. "Clary, I am _so_ sorry. I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. You didn't deserve it. You were only trying to help and I see that now."

I didn't dare look at him because I knew that if I did, I would break down again. I continued to stare straight ahead without saying a word. "Clary, please," Jace begged, his voice cracking. "I am so sorry and I promise you that I will _never _yell at you like that again."

I bit the inside of my cheek and tears began to roll down my face.

Jace continued to talk and my lack of response to his words seemed to make him desperate. "Please Clary, please say you'll forgive me," he begged. "I don't know what I would do without you. You are my whole world and I'm sorry. I love you, Clary, more than anything. Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?"

I finally lost it as I heard his speech. A sob wracked through my body and I threw myself into his arms, sobbing. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed me tightly to him. "I am so sorry Clary, and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you, I swear to you that I will regain your trust and confidence in me."

I started crying even more and Jace held me even tighter, rubbing my back with his hands. "Why did you get so mad at me?" I cried. "I only wanted to help."

"I know Clary, I know," he said, his voice breaking. "I was just worried about you and angry that you had just charged into the fight and threw yourself into it. I was so scared that you would get hurt, that I just lost it and snapped at you. I'm so sorry Clary, can you ever forgive me?"

I pulled away slightly to look him in the eye. I searched his face and I saw nothing but sincerity. He was truly sorry for what he had done and I was sure that he was never going to do it again. He looked like he was in pain as he waited for my answer and I noticed that he had been crying. Throughout all of the time that I had known Jace, I had never seen him cry. No matter how hard things got, he always remained strong, yet here he was, crying in front of me as he waited for my answer. It was in that moment that I saw how much he truly loved and cared for me. Instead of answering his question, I smiled and crushed my lips to his.

He responded immediately, wrapping his arms securely around me and moving his mouth in synchronization with mine. I ran my hands through his hair and I moaned when he deepened the kiss. One of my hands remained in his hair while the other slipped beneath his shirt and felt his rock hard abs. He groaned and pulled me even closer to him, his hands moving up to my hair. I gasped as his hands slowly made their way up to my hair, leaving a trail of fire wherever his hands touched.

I pulled away, gasping for air. Jace leaned his forehead against mine and intertwined our fingers. "Is that a yes?" Jace asked.

I smiled. "It most certainly was," I said, before turning serious again. "But I'm serious Jace, you can't treat me like that anymore. I'm not a five year old. I'm old enough to make my own decisions and I am ready to hunt demons with you," I said seriously, looking him in the eye. "I'm a Shadowhunter too and you need to start treating me like one."

Jace nodded, looking me right in the eye. "You're right Clary, and I'm sorry. I kept trying to shield you and protect you, but you don't need me for that anymore. You can handle yourself and I saw that tonight. You were spectacular, Clary and I am so proud of you."

"Thank you Jace, that's all I want," I said, smiling.

"You really did do great out there, Clary," Jace said. "Your aim has improved greatly. You would have hit me right between the eyes if I hadn't ducked," Jace said smiling.

I ducked my head in shame. "I'm so sorry Jace; I didn't mean to do that. I was just hurt and angry and I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry."

"No, Clary," Jace said, interrupting my rambling. "I deserved that and much worse. I was a jerk. I definitely deserved much worse than having a dagger thrown at my head. I'm sorry I acted that way. I was just so worried seeing you fight those demons and so scared that something was going to happen to you, but you can handle yourself. I can see that now and I am so sorry that I didn't see that before. You are an extremely gifted Shadowhunter and I know that you can be one of the best."

I smiled at Jace, feeling happier than I had in awhile. "Thank you Jace, that means a lot to me."

Jace's arms tightened around me as he pulled me closer to him. My arms found their way around his neck and I smiled up at him. "I love you, Clary," Jace said softly, staring at me with his eyes full of love.

I gazed back at him, the same expression on my face. "I love you too, Jace, more than anything."

His grin grew even wider. "I'm so glad," he murmured softly in my ear before bringing his lips down onto mine.

I smiled and kissed him back, thinking about how lucky I was to have him in my life. I knew that this wouldn't be our only fight and I also knew that this certainly wouldn't be the last time that we disagreed on something, but I also knew that our love for each other was stronger than any silly argument and we would always be able to get through it, together.

My grin widened as Jace pulled away from the kiss, only to place a soft kiss on the top of my head and pull me close to him. Whatever happened in my future, I knew that Jace would be right there by my side. We had something special, something that a lot of people never got to experience. We had a special bond that would last forever. My future used to terrify me. I never knew what to expect, but looking at Jace, I knew that everything was going to be okay as long as Jace was right there by me.

As my head rested against Jace's chest and as we both gazed out at the city around us, I knew that whatever was coming up in my future would be worth it. I had my family and friends by my side, but most importantly I had Jace. And with them standing by me, supporting me, I knew that I could do anything.

The End

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you all so much for reading! I really hope that you enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you liked it. Please don't forget to review and tell me what you think! **


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